WPC condemns rape of 5-year-old girl

ISLAMABAD: The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) on Tuesday condemned the unfortunate incident of a sexual assault on a 5-year-old girl in Lahore last week. The WPC urged the authorities and the judiciary to ensure that the culprits are immediately arrested and prosecuted. They said the accused should be strictly punished to provide justice to the innocent victim and her grieved family and to curb such incidents that reflect the mindset destroying the foundations of the society. Such unfortunate incidents were increasing at an alarming rate despite various legislations passed in the parliament, which was a serious concern in light of the existing security situation in the country, the WPC added.

The WPC said an effective methodology needed to be implemented to engage the civil society, media and parliamentarians to create public awareness on such issues, educating them on measures to ensure their safety and inform them of their basic legal rights as the citizens of the country. Such steps would help the government fight the crime and provide security to people, they added. The WPC said it was their responsibility to continue to work towards fulfilling the international commitments on social development and effectively ensure that the voice of the people of Pakistan was heard.

The WPC said to achieve these targets, it was very important that the smooth transition of the democratic process continued and through the effective policy of reconciliation, national policies were carried forward by the future governments. Online